"Pass it Forward" One year later...My Unbelievable True Story

I posted this thread 13 months ago. Since then I have been trying to live by these words.

The best start to a New Year ever. It started a week before Christmas. Typical story a guy at a gas station comes up to you. Well, my first response
was to avoid eye contact. I was with my 10 year old daughter. The young, well dressed kid told me he left his wallet at home and he ran out of gas. I
ask him how much gas it would take him to get home. He said about ten bucks, but if I could help at all...Well, I gave it to this kid who had a nicer
car than myself. The young man said if I will give him my address...We have all heard that. I looked the kid right in the eye and said "Pass it
Forward". Forward to Saturday Night. I was sitting in the truck in front of the grocery store waiting for my wife and daughter to finish shopping.
This is a really classy shopping center. My dog was in my lap and I was just looking around. I saw a woman about fourty ask a man a question and get
blown off. This woman wasn't alone. She had a beautiful little girl with her about my daughters age. She walked passed my truck. In my mirror I saw
her turn around. This woman had a grimace on her face. Like she was forcing herself to ask me. Well, she came up to me and said. "I lost my job and
my house. My daughter and I have been sleeping in a car. It's cold tonight and we would like to get a warm place to sleep." I ask her how much she
needed to get a room. She told me she had seven dollars. I could not get past looking at that beautiful young lady being homeless. I had to help them
out. I just happened to have some cash. I told the woman that we had all been through tough things in our lives and I was sure her luck was changing.
Her and the daughter were very grateful and wanted to send it back when they got on there feet. They promised me as soon as they could they would send
it to me. I smiled, looked them in the eye. No, just "Pay it Forward". Sunday Evening... I am about to embark on a very risky venture in my life. I
don't want this to hurt my family. My girls take off to the store for some sales they see. I am literally on my knees praying when they return. My
wife was in mild shock upon returning from the store. I said "What's wrong?" and here's her exact words. "I was checking out my groceries and a
lady walked up to me. She told me she wanted to pay for my groceries. I begged her to pick someone that was more needy. I told her I have way too many
things. The nice lady said "she had picked me and that she really wanted to do this for our family". Shocked...My wife and my daughter kept thanking
the generous lady. When the transaction was nearing completion my wife handed the clerk coupons. The lady insisted my wife save them for next time.
This beautiful person turned and looked my wife in the eye and said with a smile "Pass it Forward". If we all did this, could you imagine? Please
"Pass it Forward"

So let me give you some personal information so I can tell you what happened.

I race horses as a hobby. They are not the super expensive type you see on TV. Well, I'm am just finishing my first year of racing. My Filly ran
lights out for me all year. Well, in February she ran in the mud and she messed her knee up pretty good. Not life threatening but definitely career
ending. When I got into the sport I swore I would not treat my horses like commodities. I swore I would never take one to the cannery.

So, here is my situation... I'm pretty much stuck with this horse the rest of it's life. It's not cheap. To find a Stud Horse that would make it
profitable to breed her is way out of my league.

Now I will bring this true story home with what happened yesterday. I was standing in line at the Gas Station minding my own business. A customer came
in and said "These Asia tourists are stuck in the busy intersection. They are waving money trying to get someone to help them". They spoke no
English. I could of just looked forward in line and minded my own business. I saw the precarious situation this family was in. Well, I just can't
look the other way. People were in danger. I quickly grabbed a couple guys to try and slow down traffic so I could try jumping the car and get it
going. It took less than a minute. The Gentleman was so relieved he was trying to throw money at me. Then a very young (10 years old) girl said in
decent English "My Daddy wants to give you some money. Nobody would help us. I told the sweet young girl to tell her Father to help the next person
he see's that is in trouble. I'm not sure she understood exactly, but I told her to tell her Dad to "Pass it Forward". He nodded and bowed
profusely like he completely understood.

Now Comes the Unbelievable Part

I get home and within 5 minutes of getting home my Horse Trainer called...

I went to the Stud Farm today. You will never believe the Stud they now have. When he said that I immediately went into my Day Dream mode...I ran the
What if Scenario quickly through my head. For just a brief moment I was accepting the Roses at Churchill Downs. Then reality hit. He made millions on
the track. This Horse is so far out of my league they wouldn't even let me muck his stall.

Then a Miracle happened to Me

My Trainer who had never met this man began to tell him my story. He told how I have just finished my first year of Racing. He told the Gentleman and
his wife how I refused to destroy this beautiful animal just because she can't race anymore. Also, she would not make a good saddle horse. The Filly
only knows one speed.

I could not believe my ears

The Gentleman and his wife were so moved by my story they offered me a FREE Breeding.

I still can't believe somebody I have never met would do this for me.

It's at a minimum five figure gift. Probably more...

When I started my own little local "Pass it Forward" thing it was not to get anything in return.

I am not sure if any of this is related...But, it sure has me wondering. Not only does it feel good to help others. It just makes this world a little
better place...

Will you join me? Even if it's just buying someone a cup of coffee. Miracles do happen. As long as I can I will...

The love you put out into the world adds to the available supply -- so when you need it the most, it's there for you

I really do believe that at the absolute highest levels of existence, everything is one. This is why it's important to treat other people like you
would treat yourself.

The person you're helping, in some quantum or esoteric way...is an extention of yourself

Thanks for the story!

I was at a grocery store using the self-check out and noticed the woman before me had left her change. It wasn't much, maybe $5. I snatched the money
and went running off after her. When I approached her from behind I shouted, "Ma'am! Your change!". At first she acted like she was about to turn
around and smack me, but her face instantly softened and she thanked me.

I walked back to the self-check out and got nothing but the dirtiest looks from everyone. People were staring at me like I was some kind of freaky
psycho.

On top of that, someone cut in front of me when I got back in line.

Even if the world seems cold and heatless, I never let that keep me from doing the right thing. I could have kept that money, and I could have been an
ass to the guy who cut in front of me. I didn't though, because In the end we're all part of the same universe!

Can't watch the vid right now...but I have a general idea of what it's about!

You can even leave out any metaphysical stuff and look at it scientifically. As the late Carl Sagan said, "We're all made from star stuff!"

I will say this though -- We have some professional "homeless" people around here. I saw a guy on a street corner hobbling around with a cane a year
or so ago. I didn't have any change on me, so I drove on.

About two weeks later as I was leaving a public building, guess who was *walking* inside at the same time? Yep, homeless dude (minus the cane). He
also had a very expensive scarf on. I gave him a WTF/confused look and he gave me a, "Oh crap he knows I'm homeless-cane-guy" look. I didn't stop him
or say anything.

Later that night I was pretty bored and thinking about homeless-cane-guy. I decided to make my own sign out of an old pizza box. It read:

Not Poor
Just Bored
Show me your...

I'm sure you can figure out the last line.

I even embelished the "O's" with some quick artwork. I'm not sure how long I stood outside in the -15F degree weather at that busy intersection. I
also never did get flashed. I did, however, make a TON of people laugh, and I might have just turned someone's day around. I even had people taking
photos for their Facebook.

ETA: When I moved from the place I was living in at the time, I had a huge pile of garbage on the corner. I still had that sign from a few months
before. I set it up right in front of the pile. Not more than 15 minutes later it was gone. I hope I paid it forward for someone else to use my sign.
Maybe they'll luck out and get flashed!

So homeless-cane-guy, you might be running a scam in my town...but I turned it around and make some people laugh!

Thank you for taking the time out to share your story. It's very inspirational and a nice change to the normal threads of doom and gloom. I have
decided to take up the mantle of pass it forward, and hopefully the change will move to the wider community. Peace!!!

Beautiful thread. OP, you have a kind heart, something those who do well off for themselves know nothing about. I've been homeless , most recently
before august 16 of 2012 I was on the streets for 6months. I feel like those who've actually lived a life experiencing pain, sadness and anything
that just makes you sad have a lot more empathy than others. I know theres those out there that donate millions to charitys and whatnot, but how about
when it comes face to face as it was for you a guy or woman asking for help? I will consciously try to pass it forward as well.

Story would have been a lot cooler if the woman who offered your wife the grocery money was the same woman you helped out in the parking lot whom was
now fully back up on her feet.... and also if the man who offered free breeding turned out to be the first guy you had originally helped at the gas
station.
The way the story was written, I reeeeally felt like it was leading up to those two climaxes!

Awesome story though, I'll make sure to implement "pass it forward". I love the feeling of helping other people

Originally posted by MountainLaurel
What a Great story ! Will you continue to race with your horse's baby someday?

Yes... It's my dream to race horses.

Since the baby will not arrive for over 11 months.

When the foal arrives, I will update this thread with some pictures.

That's awesome....and love the idea the horse's will have each other too...don't know alot horses, but have some friends that own them, and they seem
to be social animals.....has been my observation animals like hanging out with family members of the same "kind", along with thier human
family....will be fun to see pics of the baby...Good Luck.....

One time, late at night waiting for the train, there was an old man on the other side of my track getting thrown on the ground by 2 teenagers, glasses
flying from his face. There must have been 30 or 40 people standing around me, also facing the tracks and watching the scene. I reflexively started
yelling, almost screaming across the tracks to intimidate the kids, and it worked. But not one single person around reacted to the situation. The very
next day, I won 7500 euro with a lottery ticket that I bought on an impulse. I normally never buy lottery tickets.

Your story really touched my heart. Good to know that humanity still has hope left in this world.

I also have had incidents in my life when I was helped by people exactly at the time when there seemed to be no way forward. There was no real reason
whatsoever for those people to have helped me to the extent that they did.

I have also helped many people, both friends and other acquaintances, in ways that have made their lives. The feeling when you make a real difference
in someone's life is simply out of this world. The good karma that comes back to you once in a while is an extra bonus.

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